The George Washington University’s Opportunity Structures for Preparation and Inspiration (OSPrI) research project has released three new videos on an inclusive STEM high school with an agriculture focus that show how urban students convert opportunity to learn into success in high school and beyond. The videos provide a view of what it is like to attend the highly successful Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS), located on an 80 acre farm within the Chicago city limits.This public high school focuses on both career technical education focus and college preparation for STEM and serves Chicago’s diverse student population. The suite of short videos includes an overview video and two up-close, personal accounts of the lived experiences of Mayra and Leotis, two students who attend the school. The videos can be found on the OSPrI website.
The OSPrI research project, funded by the National Science Foundation, was led by Professor Sharon Lynch of GW’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) and Institute for Public Policy (GWIPP). The videos were created to provide the public and the STEM research community with a view of this exceptional STEM high school that serves students across Chicago. The videos highlight the unusual opportunities provided to urban students at CHSAS, and how they are able to position themselves for success in STEM, agriculture, or college.
CHSAS is a magnet school with a unique STEM curriculum that features a both a strong college preparatory core science and math sequence as well as an extensive set of courses related to its agricultural focus. Students choose to specialize in one of six agricultural pathways including biotechnology, animal science, food science, agricultural finance, horticulture and mechanical technology and design. CHSAS has an extensive network of advisors in business, industry and higher education who provide students with hands-on experiences in agriculture. The opportunity to learn through experience makes the traditional science and mathematics courses relevant because students see immediate applications. Students graduate with strong records of achievement and experiences in agriculture that make them sought out by four-year colleges.
As the U.S. faces the challenges of creating STEM-capable students who are prepared for college and career pathways, the OSPrI research study uncovered the critical components behind a sample of exemplary STEM high schools. To see the videos or learn more about the findings from the OSPrI study, including eight STEM high schools across the U.S., visit the OSPrI website at ospri.research.gwu.edu or contact Dr. Sharon Lynch at [email protected].